1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, emission type plasma display panels or non-emission type liquid crystal display devices have been increasingly used as a display device, instead of cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
The liquid crystal display devices employ a liquid crystal panel as a transmissive light modulating element and include an illumination unit (also referred to as “backlight”) on the rear surface thereof to apply light to the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel forms an image by controlling a transmission ratio of the light applied from the backlight.
One feature of the liquid crystal display device is that it can be formed thinner than the CRT, and a liquid crystal display device with a smaller and smaller thickness has been required. Therefore, JP2006-156324A discloses a side backlight having a configuration in which a light emitting diode (LED) is used as a backlight source, the backlight source is not disposed in the rear surface of a liquid crystal panel but in a side, and light is applied from the rear surface of the liquid crystal panel using a light guide plate. JP2005-238456A discloses a light guide plate for a backlight having a diagonal size of 14 inches or more and a thicker side.